Tech

RealNetworks Fights for Web Eyeballs With Cloud Video Service

On Tuesday, RealNetworks unveiled its latest effort to transform the world of online video by announcing RealPlayer Cloud, a service that will allow users to share video across a wide range of platforms.

The new service is particularly interesting because it bucks the trend of attempting to close Internet video viewers off into a particular ecosystem and will work on five major platforms including Apple’s iOS, Android, Roku, Windows PCs and direct to any web browser.

In addition to its broad availability, the video service will also give users an initial 2GB of free cloud storage. After that, storage will cost you 25GB for $4.99 per month or $49 per year; 100GB for $9.99 per month or $99 per yea; or 300GB for $29.99 per month or $299 per year.

Driving the service is a piece of technology RealNetworks calls SurePlay, a tool that auto-formats video to fit the size of your screen and adjusts the quality to accommodate the bandwidth speeds and storage capabilities of various devices.

It’s been a long time coming, but now that bandwidth limits have increased and mobile devices have finally matured into full-fledged content consumption portals, the re-emergence of RealNetworks into the spotlight of video streaming may be perfectly timed. Similarly, the return of the company’s founder Rob Glaser to the fold just as it attempts to reignite its fortunes could also be a sign that RealNetworks has ambitious plans ahead.

In a Facebook message to his team following the announcement, Glaser wrote, “Making RealPlayer Cloud has been an outstanding team effort, involving over 100 people in Seattle, Beijing and Zagreb. Working together, literally around the clock, the team has built an integrated product consisting of six clients and a complete back-end service. All this in just 12 months.”

Of the few major companies that survived the dot-com bust of 2000-2001, many have either completely shed the stigma of the bad old days through sheer force of will (like Amazon) or have attempted to transform and rebrand to fit the new generation of Internet users, exemplified by Yahoo’s recent efforts.

But the case of RealNetworks differs from the norm in that it not only managed to survive the digital downturn of well over a decade ago, but it has also quietly thrived while gradually extending its global reach.

Whether this attempt to marry the burgeoning field of cloud computing with its deep understanding of delivering video via the Internet will result in a resurgence of interest in the company from the current generation of video consumers remains to be seen. But for now, Glaser appears to be confident that the new service will attract new users.

“The amount of video content that consumers are capturing and watching is exploding, but moving that video around is often painfully difficult," Glaser said in a statement. "RealPlayer Cloud is a breakthrough product … In short, we’ve made video easy.”

8 Apps and Services to Stream, Watch Movies

Priced at only $2.99, Air Video is one of the best streaming apps on the market, providing access to your entire video collection anytime and anywhere. Instead of synchronizing videos to watch them on various devices, Air Video allows you to watch them over the air without the hassle of sharing, converting and downloading files. It also gives iPad users access to content purchased via iTunes by streaming it through Safari.

Although Hulu Plus is tops when it comes to having unlimited access to more than 2,000 TV shows for $7.99 a month, it has a decent movie pool too. With more than 1,400 movies, users can access the service on iOS and Android devices, as well as smart TVs and set-top boxes.

Say what you want about Netflix's recent rollercoaster of fare hikes and service changes, but if you're still a member, it makes sense to have this free app. It's easy to watch movies from your instant queue on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, and you can resume watching where you left off at home on your TV or computer.

Plex ($4.99) gives iOS mobile devices the ability to browse and play videos from a Mac computer. Along with a seamless interface on the iPad, the app automatically ports over content via its myPlex service. However, the streaming of DRM-protected content, such as older files from the iTunes store, is not supported.

Slingbox has made it easy over the years to access and control your home TV and DVR with a mobile device from anywhere in the world, so you can still catch a live broadcast of your favorite show when vacationing in Paris. When connected over 3G or Wi-Fi to a Slingbox SOLO or a PRO-HD device, the app allows you change channels, control your DVR and sit back and relax. The company recently introduced a SlingPlayer Facebook app which lets users stream through Facebook when you don't want to use a mobile device.

For documentary buffs, the SnagFilms app offers countless music, biography and history films for free. Whether you're into popular documentaries such as Super Size Me or more obscure ones, it's simple to get informed on various subjects while on the go. The app can also be linked to AirPlay on Apple TV.

VLC Streamer ($1.99) is similar to Air Video, allowing users to stream movies from a Mac or PC over Wi-Fi and 3G with a mobile device. A free helper app walks you through how to stream with the service and allows you to browse local drives and Windows network shares. It also supports multiple resolutions and streaming quality levels.

Similar to Hulu Plus -- minus the subscription fee -- Crackle hosts hundreds of shows and movies available for streaming on demand. From movies A Few Good Men and Step Brothers to TV shows such as Seinfeld, the free app skyrocketed to become one of iTunes' top apps, bringing in over more than 4 million downloads in less than five months.

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